Joseph “Ed” Hunter, joined the fire service in 1928 as a hoseman/fireman, following his service with the Army. His commitment to public service led him to become state forest ranger chauffeur at the San Jacinto Ranger Station. Eventually, Ed became the operator of the county’s first apparatus, Fire Truck 73, and served as assistant to the county fire warden. On April 2, 1932, while responding to a house fire in West Riverside, Ed was struck by shrapnel from an exploding water tank and was rushed to a local hospital. On the morning of April 4, 1932, Ed succumbed to effects of his injuries. He was survived by his parents, his brother and his sister.